‘It's a purge': Reactions to Nashville's ICE operations, impact on local businesses
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The recent ICE operations across Nashville have left an impact on local businesses.
Business owners are sharing that staff are not showing up for their shifts, and there were rumors of operations happening this past weekend along Broadway. Those reports have not been verified, but the concerns among the local Hispanic community are very real.
'The whole conversation out there was it's Hispanics who are undocumented. So it is uncomfortable to even go to a grocery store, and people kind of look at you,' said Yuri Cunza, President of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
'We are powerless': Nashville officials respond to recent ICE activity
In just over a week, more than 500 traffic stops were conducted in Nashville alone, resulting in over 100 immigrant-related arrests.
One of the arrestees was wanted for a killing in El Salvador, according to the THP, but News 2 has not been able to confirm that because ICE has not identified the people they took.
'There's no rhyme or reason to it, it's just grabbing people to get rid of them,' said Gina, an ER nurse whose husband is a Mexican immigrant. 'Nobody wants to leave home, nobody can work. Our income got cut in half. It's scary, it's wrong, it's a purge.'
Nashville city officials have expressed surprise with last week's ICE operations. It's no different for Nashville's Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
'At this point, any small business is concerned,' said Cunza. 'Hispanics are being chased around town, captured like they are being hunted down. And they are being labeled as people that you don't want in the community. But many are part of the workforce.'
Supporter group cancels Nashville SC game events in response to immigration arrests in TN
Cunza said there are over 2,000 Hispanic-owned businesses within Nashville. His advice to them, and the 400-plus who are chamber members: always have identification, follow the laws, and be prepared for anything.
'The plans and programs announced by the White House will take place regardless of what we do. But, at least with the least amount of casualties,' Cunza expressed. 'Be informed. Make sure you know an attorney that deals with immigration.'
Meanwhile, Gina, who preferred not to use her last name, said her husband is in the process of getting his citizenship, adding he has been avoiding his job as a construction worker.
Like the chamber, Gina is greatly concerned for local businesses, specifically those along Nolensville Pike, where a vast immigrant population resides.
'I think the immigrant community revitalized this neighborhood and it's continuing to grow, and this could be a setback. And that affects all of Nashville. It will have a trickle-down effect,' Gina told News 2 on Monday.
Nashville releases timeline of ICE activity across city
After what she called a 'hard week,' Gina is now working to help the businesses along Nolensville Pike, including collecting donations and food for affected families.
'Keep your eyes out, try to help your neighbor,' said Gina.
As for Cunza, he said he's had communication with the Metro government and other local chambers of commerce.
He hopes the federal government can work towards positive solutions or 'compromise' with these mass deportations, such as work visas for illegal immigrants in crucial sectors of the workforce (i.e. agriculture).
'What is the next step? I could not say to people 'don't worry' because it is something that will continue and will be happening throughout the year and beyond. I wish I could say differently but I can't,' Cunza said.
Cunza believes 'comprehensive immigration reform' is needed to rectify the issues that, he said, have mounted across several administrations.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mom Was Taken Hostage and Got Spree Killer to Surrender. 20 Years Later, She Says It Changed Her Life for the Better (Exclusive)
Ashley Smith-Robinson was taken hostage for seven hours in March 2005 by Brian Nichols, who had just escaped from an Atlanta courthouse during his rape trial and killed four people Ashley credits her deep Christian faith with giving her the strength to talk Nichols into releasing her and turning himself in 'If this never happened,' says Ashley, who insists that the incident for transformed her life, 'I'd be dead from an overdose"Sitting in her car on a recent muggy morning outside a child care center in North Augusta, S.C., Ashley Smith-Robinson can't help but marvel at the 'pretty normal' path her life has taken over the past two decades. 'I'm grateful for where I am now,' the 49-year-old says while waiting to pick up her 11-month-old grandson, Cash. 'It's been better than I could have ever imagined or deserve.' It was March 2005 when the world was first introduced to Ashley after she was taken hostage in her apartment by an accused rapist who escaped from law enforcement and gunned down four people. Over the course of seven hours, Ashley — who'd lost custody of her daughter Paige while struggling to kick drugs and get her life back on track — used her deep Christian faith and the determination to see her little girl to pull off what was widely seen as a miracle: She talked 33-year-old Brian Nichols into releasing her and turning himself in, potentially saving countless other lives. The nightmare proved pivotal for Ashley. Not only did she author the 2005 memoir Unlikely Angel and became the focus of the 2015 film Captive — but, most importantly, she never again used drugs, got her daughter back and has built the kind of 'quiet life' that once seemed impossible. In a way, she's grateful for it all. 'If this had never happened,' confesses Ashley, a happily married mother of three and new grandma, 'there's no doubt in my mind I'd be dead from an overdose or from getting involved with the wrong people.'Ashley was still reeling from the 2001 murder of her husband Mack right in front of her, and had been using meth to numb the pain when Nichols showed up at her Atlanta-area apartment with a gun at 2 a.m. on March 12, 2005. 'I was in a bad place,' says Ashley, who had relapsed after 10 months of sobriety. For much of the previous day, the city had been on edge after Nichols overpowered a sheriff's deputy at the Fulton County courthouse and went on a rampage — killing judge Rowland Barnes, 64; court reporter Julie Brandau, 46; deputy Hoyt Teasley, 43; and 40-year-old off-duty ICE agent David Wilhelm. At her waitressing job earlier that afternoon, Ashley had watched the drama play out on TV. 'Don't worry about him,' she recalls a group of police officers at the restaurant tell her when she asked if Nichols had been apprehended yet. 'He's probably in Alabama by now.' Hours after getting off her shift, she was back at her new apartment unpacking boxes and had decided to drive to a nearby gas station for a pack of cigarettes. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Something about the truck parked in front of her complex with someone sitting inside of it felt 'weird,' she remembers thinking. Minutes later when she returned, it was still there. Ashley was walking to her front door when she heard footsteps behind her. By the time she turned around, she saw a man standing behind her, pointing a gun at her. 'I won't hurt you,' the man — who Ashley instantly recognized as Nichols when he removed his hat — told her, 'if you do everything I say.' Summoning every ounce of composure she could muster, she told Nichols, a former college football player, about her own life, including how she was scheduled for visitation with her then-5-year-old daughter the next morning. Out of instinct, she began asking him questions about himself, trying to get to know him. 'He sounded crazy and felt extremely judged — which was how I was feeling at that point in my life,' says Ashley. 'So I tried to talk to him about all the things I would want people to ask me to make him feel a little more human.' Before long, Nichols asked her if she had any marijuana. She told him no, but she had some meth and soon found herself laying out lines of the drug on a table and thinking about 'the mess I'd made of my life." Nichols asked her if she wanted any. 'I told him that I never want to use drugs ever again,' she recalls. After watching him snort the meth, which she noticed had a strangely calming effect on Nichols, she shifted the tone of their discussion. 'I just started praying and having a spiritual conversation with him,' says Ashley, who — after making Nichols pancakes — began reading to him from The Purpose Driven Life, which she had recently turned to for strength. As he listened to Ashley read from chapter 33 of the book, Nichols asked her, 'What do you think I should do?' Without skipping a beat, she replied: 'You have to turn yourself in. We all have to pay for the things we've done, and I'm paying for my mistakes right now because I don't have my daughter. It's one of the most painful things I've ever been through.' Hours later, as the sky brightened into morning, her words of tough love had clearly worked their magic. Nichols asked her what time she needed to leave in order to see her daughter. She glanced at her watch, then told him, 'Now would be the best time.' Nichols nodded, fished her cellphone out of his pocket and handed it back to her. Moments later, Ashley walked out her front door. 'My knees were shaking,' she recalls, 'and I immediately said, 'Thank you Lord.' ' She jumped in her car and sped off, immediately calling police. Nichols stayed behind in her apartment to calmly await the officers, even hanging a mirror before SWAT teams descended on the complex and took him away in handcuffs. The years that followed were a whirlwind for Ashley. She was hailed a hero for helping re-capture Nichols — now serving multiple life sentences at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison — and was soon sharing how her unwavering faith saved her life with Oprah Winfrey and before audiences that often numbered in the thousands. She got sober again, returned to school to become an X-ray and CT technician and, in 2007, and married former boyfriend Daniel Robinson. Since then, she's largely retreated from the spotlight but continues to appear as a local inspirational speaker. She's never had any contact with Nichols since that morning 20 years ago. But every few years, she says that 'God will press it on my heart to write him a letter and then I'll get four sentences into it and I'm like, 'Not now. It doesn't feel right.' ' Someone Ashley has maintained regular contact with from the 2005 tragedy is Candy Wilhelm, the widow of ICE agent David whom Nichols killed hours after fleeing from the Atlanta courthouse. 'She and I have a relationship because she knows that I know what it feels like to have your husband taken away from you,' she says. 'That's our bonding point.' Although Ashley admits her brush with terror 'seems like a lifetime ago,' she can't help but get uneasy when home alone. And the impact of her excruciating night of captivity remains profound — but also painfully bittersweet. 'Four people lost their lives. Families lost husbands, wives and fathers,' Ashley says. 'But it gave my children a mother, it gave my husband a wife, and it gave me an opportunity to share God's love with millions of people.' If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Newsom Seeks Control Of National Guard From 'Dictator' Trump; LAPD Puts City On Tactical Alert Over ICE Protests
The conflict between California Governor Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump over ICE raids in Los Angeles and the federalization of the National Guard has escalated today as the LAPD put the City of Angels on tactical alert over anti-deportation protests and resistance. 'We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved,' the Governor bluntly said online of the state of affairs in LA. More from Deadline Judge Denies Corporation For Public Broadcasting's Motion In Trump Case, But Ruling Still Allows For Board Members To Remain - Update ABC News Suspends Terry Moran Over X Post That Called Trump Official Stephen Miller A "World-Class Hater" '60 Minutes' Correspondent Scott Pelley Says Trump Lawsuit Settlement & Apology Would Be "Very Damaging" To Reputation Of CBS And Paramount In a whirl of events Sunday in a very tense LA, Newsom and Chief Jim McDonnell both are trying to grasp back control of the state and city from the tough-talking and heavy-handed Trump and stop things from escalating – with the Governor calling POTUS a 'dictator.' Earlier today, Trump took to his usual bully pulpit of social media proclaimed in his hyperbolic manner that 'a once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals.' Going on a factually challenged rant, the former Celebrity Apprentice host added: 'Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' An anti-ICE rally moved this afternoon from City Hall to the nearby federal building where over 100 detainees (including young children) rounded up by masked agents in the past two days have been housed in dank basements without access to lawyers. In response, top cop McDonnell moved first Sunday to keep protesters and the heavily armed National Guard and Homeland Security forces apart and prevent further clashes. Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to LA, and, under a questionable legal basis, the Secretary of Defense has put Marines at Camp Pendleton on alert. The last time the National Guard put on the streets like this in LA was back in 1992 in the uprisings following the acquittal of four LAPD cops over their filmed beating of Rodney King. At that time, it was then Golden State Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican, who requested the deployment. Two-term Democrat and potential presidential contender Newsom never requested this weekend's deployment. In fact, the Governor argued with Trump to do the exact opposite, in a call the two had before POTUS went to a UFC fight in New Jersey late Saturday. 'The City of Los Angeles is on Tactical Alert.' the LAPD announced around 2:30 p.m. PT as tensions rose. As well as raising the use of force, the move puts all officers on notice they could be called into duty ASAP and keeps those already on shifts working. Soon afterwards, an unlawful assembly was declared to clear the area around the federal property, where thousands were gathering in protests. Disbursement non-lethal shots, flash bangs, and gas canisters were heard being fired over the crowd by the cops. In conjunction, as protesters and CHP cops clogged up the 101 freeway in downtown LA, local streets were being closed down to keep traffic and more people out of the area Following usual police procedure, arrest began quickly of those closest to the line of officers. There are rumors that a curfew cold be put in place soon, but law enforcement sources that Deadline spoke to said that is 'not in the cards, not being considered right now.' 'To have this here is really just a provocation and something that was not needed in our city,' LA Mayor Karen Bass told CNN Sunday afternoon rejecting Trump's assertion that the troops were needed and as the tactical alert was put in place. 'We're still recovering after five months from the city's worst natural disaster in decades and now to go through a trauma like this that is really traumatizing the whole city, because everybody knows somebody in a city where more than 50% are Latino, this just so chaos that is not warranted nor needed in the city of Los Angeles at this point in time.' The incumbent Mayor and ex-Democratic Congresswoman also noted that the role of the National Guard is to 'protect federal property,' not to swarm the streets of the sanctuary city or aid anticipated further harsh ICE raids against undocumented Angelenos and others. Mayor Bass is set to give a press conference on the state of affairs in LA today later this afternoon. Accusing Trump and team of trying to 'manufacture a crisis in LA County' and 'create chaos' with the injection of troops that literally no one asked for, Gov. Newsom formally made a move Sunday to regain his control of the Guard, for what it's worth at this point. 'I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command,' the longtime Trump foil and MAGA punching bag said online in a letter to Sec. Pete Hegseth less than 24 hours after Trump seized the Guard over the governor's objections. 'There is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles, and to do so in this unlawful manner and for such a lengthy period is a serious breach of state sovereignty that seems intentionally designed to inflame the situation, while simultaneously depriving the state from deploying these personnel and resources where they are truly required,' the letter says. Newsom makes a point of noting that proper procedure of the order was never being passed on to him previously. Setting the stage for a legal missive in the next few days, Newsom adds that the move to bring in the Guard was not 'ordered or approved by the Governor of California,' as required, Part of a protocol between the state and the feds, Newsom's Guard letter to the much criticized Defense Secretary and former Fox News host follows a letter from every Democratic Governor around America slamming Trump for his 'abuse of power' in LA. Mocking Trump and his crew all day, Newsom himself took it further Sunday, calling Trump's actions to be 'the acts of a dictator, not a President.' Unlike when news of the National Guard order went out last night, all the cable newsers had wall-to-wall coverage Sunday of what was going down in LA. MORE Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wanted man arrested for reckless driving, other charges in Mt. Juliet after making DoorDash delivery
MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WKRN) — A DoorDash driver is facing multiple charges after a traffic stop for speeding in Mt. Juliet Saturday night reportedly led to the discovery of drugs, as well as an outstanding warrant. According to the Mt. Juliet Police Department, an officer spotted a Jeep Renegade 'flying down' Interstate 40 West, going 93 mph in a 70 mph zone, on Saturday, June 7. However, after the vehicle was safely stopped, law enforcement realized this wasn't a simple speeding case. Several injured after skydiving plane crashes in Tullahoma 'The driver—a 34-year-old man from Nashville—had just dropped off a DoorDash delivery and was still in a rush, driving recklessly and endangering others on the road,' officials said. The MJPD said the officer discovered the driver had an outstanding warrant out of Nashville for violation of probation, which was tied to a felony aggravated assault conviction. In addition, the man was reportedly driving on a revoked license. Then, when authorities searched the vehicle, they said they found five chalky blue pills — suspected to be pressed fentanyl — hidden in a cigarette pack. Law enforcement said they arrested the driver, who now faces charges for reckless driving, driving on a revoked license, possession of fentanyl, and the outstanding warrant. Child helps Sumner County authorities find burglary suspect 'We are grateful for the vigilance and hard work of our officers, who are always watching out for the safety of MJ,' the police department posted on social media. No additional details were arrested about this incident, including the identity of the man who was taken into custody. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
